Transcript of speech by COPE President Mosiuoa Lekota, in the debate on the President's State of the Nation Address, National Assembly, Cape Town, February 18 2014

Mr M G P LEKOTA: Hon Speaker, when the President took the oath of office, he said amongst other things that he would uphold and advance the Constitution of our country. I was filled with hope that he would indeed move in that direction. Sadly, the President chose to turn himself into a prophet. He announced to the country that the ANC will rule until Jesus Christ comes back. [Applause.]

This is a very significant prophecy. I thought that it might be somewhere in the pages of the holy book. It is a very significant prophecy. However, it is a false prophecy. It is not in the Bible, the Curran, the Bhagavad Gita or in any of the known books written by prophets in the history of the world.

Instead of teaching the people of our country that democracy has to do with them evaluating government every five years to see whether they would like to return it government or not, he chose to be a prophet and failed to live up to the promise of upholding and advancing the Constitution. The church leaders of our country, Christians, black and white, rich and poor, must reject this false prophecy. [Applause.]

What I can tell you is that somewhere in the Bible it was said that there will be false prophets. [Laughter.] [Applause.] It is there in the Bible. You will find it there. I was saddened that the leader of our country has no respect and that he took the name of Jesus Christ in vain. It is not in keeping with the lessons that those of us who grew up in Christian churches, schools and homes, have come to know.

Our country must reject the leadership that has no respect for the faith of the majority of its people. We cannot have false prophets who pretend to be what they are not. That was not all, when it seemed that prophecy was not holding out, he then did something even stranger. He told us that ...

IsiZulu:

... abaphansi bazosijezisa uma singavoteli uKhongolose.[Ubuwelewele.][Ihlombe.] Umhlolo! Umhlolo! Manje uyajika uyasithusa ukuze sesabe. Akukho engqondweni yakhe ukuthi uMthethosisekelo uthi ...

... there must be freedom of conscience.

IsiZulu:

Ayikho enqondweni yakhe leyo. Manje kumele sithuke sihambe siyovota ngoba sesaba ukuthi sizojeziswa. Yimaphi lawo madlozi afuna ukuthi thina sivotele abantu abantshontsha imali yesizwe? Asinawo thina amakhosi anjalo. Asinabo abaphansi abanjalo. Abekho abake basifundisa ukuthi ukuntshontsha kuyinto elungile. Lokhu kusho ukuthi ngeke basijezise ngoba senza into abasifundise yona, ukuthi ukuntshontsha akulungile, ikakhulukazi ukuntshontshela abantu abahluphekayo.

Sesotho:

Mopresidente o re badimo ba tla re otla ha re sa voutele Mokgatlo wa ANC. 

English:

In the first place, if this false prophecy was somewhere in the holy books, the struggle against apartheid would have ended very quickly because all these people who governed at the time, would have seen it in the holy book - that they should step down for the ANC because it must govern until Jesus comes back.

IsiZulu:

Ayikho-ke leyo ‘nto.

English:

Under this leadership, you are taking the approach that the bigger the lie, the more convincing it is.

IsiZulu:

Nisithembise imisebenzi ewuhhafu wesigidi, uma kungenzeki lokho senithi niza namathuba emisebenzi ayizigidi eziyisithupha. Leso yisiNgisi esikhulu esingasho lutho ngoba abantu abanayo imisebenzi futhi baswele ukudla. Into engiyicelayo ukuthi ... Ngeke thina sisatshiswe ngabaphansi okuthiwa bathi asivotele abantu abantshontsha imali yethu baye ngayo e-Switzerland, bahambe baye e-New York baphinde bahambe ngayo baye e-Mexico, bese befika lapha bamukeleke njengabantu abenze umsebenzi omuhle ezweni. Ngeke siyenze leyo ‘nto!

English:

However, let me tell you that today South Africa is less happy that when President Mbeki was driven out of office. It is so sad. [Applause.] The reasons are clear. When he left office, this country virtually did not owe anybody. Today, in less than five years, this country is almost a trillion rand in debt.

IsiZulu:

Ayikho imali; niyidlile bakwethu. [Ubuwelewele.] [Ihlombe.]

English:

This is how you have done it. In 2010-11, Terrence Nombembe said that R20 billion disappeared in your hands in fruitless and futile expenditure.

IsiZulu:

Sisayifuna namanje.

English:

Had that R20 billion not disappeared, the students of our nation would not be running up and down the streets, getting arrested, insisting and demanding money for educational fees. [Applause.]

IsiZulu:

Angazi ukuthi umhlonishwa uNzimande ukhuluma ngani. Abantwana bethu bayaboshwa lapha ngaphandle futhi badutshulwa ngamaphoyisa ezikhungweni zemfundo ephakeme.

English:

... because R20 billion had disappeared in this administration's hands in 2010-11. As if that was not all, the following year, in 2011-12, you did not improve and R25 billion disappeared in your hands. [Applause.]

IsiZulu:

Yingakho abantu bengenazo izindlu. Imali obekumele yakhele abantu izindlu inyamalele ezandleni zenu. Abantu baseKhayelitsha balala emanzini uma linile izulu. Imali eyizigidigidi ezingama-R25 iphelele ezandleni zenu. Siyayifuna bafowethu imali yethu. Buyisani imali yabantu baseNingizimu Afrika. Siyayifuna bakwethi imali leyo. Abantu base-Ficksburg abanamanzi futhi abanagesi ngoba imali eyizigidigidi ezingama-R25 iphelele ezandleni zenu.

English:  

You have to think again before you do this. This year you have done even worse. You have outdone yourself. [Laughter.] In past year, R30 billion disappeared from your hands. No wonder why townships after another, in the provinces you govern are going up in flames. When people complain about that, the hon President says they have provided everything for everybody. We have provided for about 95% and that there is only 5% left. In my own hometown, people are drinking water that is stinking of sewage. Many children there, died of cholera.

Sesotho:

Dilemong tsa bophelo ba ka kaofela ha ke ntse ke hola - ke holela Kroonstad - ha ke eso nwe metsi a nkgang mantle. Ke kgetlo la pele nalaneng ya naha ena, mmusong ona oo le leng ho wona, oo le o tshwereng ... 

English:

That is why I said that it only happened after President Mbeki was driven out of office - I am talking only about that time. The good story was when President Mandela and President Mbeki were still Presidents because we did not owe anybody. We paid all the debts. What did you do with this money? What did you do with R45 billion plus R30 billion and more? What did you do with it? You can't explain it. You must explain to our people.

Now our people must go to the voting stations and vote for those who will not allow money to disappear in their own hands. That is what our must go and do. On 7 May, all our people - the students who do not have money for education, people with no homes, sewerage services, and those with no water, must go and vote out a government that has wasted so much of their money and put in, men and women who are committed to making sure that the budget of the nation benefits them.

They must do so for those who fear God and don't think that they can steal in the darkness and not be seen by anybody. They should vote for those who will not declare that they will be in power until Jesus Christ comes back. You will be there as long as you do the will of God. If you are not doing the will of God, stealing the money, lying to the people and intimidating them with all kinds of chimeras, you will not succeed. You will not get there.

I am now telling you the happier story that until you correct and take the country back to where it was when you took it from President Thabo Mbeki, you must come to terms with the fact that you failed our nation. At the present time, business men and women of our country are sitting with huge quantities of money, terrified and uncertain that if they invest it they get returns. They are sitting with high liquidity. They are refusing to invest, not because they don't love their country, but because you have created such a huge uncertainty. That is why they are not doing it.

We will create a situation in which they can feel confident in their country and be able to invest and even persuade others from abroad to come and do the same. This is the country Nelson Mandela freed and laid the foundation so that our people can live together in peace, knowing that everyday that passes takes them forward to a better life.

By the way, the hon President said that he wanted to change the Constitution. [laughter.] [Interjections.] I have been listening carefully, trying to understand what he wanted to change - of the legacy of Mandela, Oliver Tambo, Sisulu and others. What is it that he wants to change? His spokesperson said I should ask the President himself because he did not make the speech. He said I should ask the President.

IsiZulu:

Kepha uMongameli akasitsheli ukuthi yini le afuna ukuyishintsha la kulo Mthethosisekelo. Mzukwane nawushintsha lo Mthethosisekelo ...

English:

... you will be breaking the only glue that is keeping the people of South Africa together. You will be creating a situation which you will never be able to control and contain. Unfortunately, you will not be there when future generations of this country suffer the consequences of your serious blunders.

Many of you are already talking about the fact that this Constitution is just for enemies of South Africa. That suggests that even Nelson Mandela was an enemy of the people of South Africa - according to you, because why did he negotiate this Constitution and gave it to us as the reliable path into the future. [Interjections.] All the critical voices came from yourselves. [Time Expired.] 

Source: Hansard, unrevised transcript.

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